Dell sets $80bn goal

And why not?

Dell, the world's biggest PC maker, yesterday proclaimed its intention to become an $80bn a year business. In a conference call to accompany its Q4 FY05 results, CEO Kevin Rollins said he wants to reach the target within the "next several years".

Dell has some way to go: for the most recent financial year ended January 28, it hit $49bn in revenues. Assuming that the company retains a similar business mix in the dash for growth [but with greater market share in more companies] an $80bn Dell would be by far the biggest computer hardware firm. By the time Dell gets to $80bn a year, HP - roughly this size now - will be either bigger again, or dismembered.

Yesterday, Dell shares eased three per cent in after hours trading, after the company missed analyst sales forecasts slightly. But the company claimed its best operating quarter yet, with records for revenue, unit shipments, operating income and cash flow from operations. Revenues were $13,457bn for Q4 2005, advancing 17 per cent on last year (Q4 2004: $11,512bn). Pro-forma fourth-quarter net earnings were 37 cents per share, 28 per cent higher than last year. The company took a tax charge of $280m, equivalent to 11c a share, to take advantage of a US amnesty on repatriating overseas earnings.